Monthly Archives: October 2016

Post navigation

A count who experiments with electro-stimulation of human blood discovers that his wife is having an affair. Catching the two lovers together, the count tortures and kills them, using their hearts and blood to further his experiments and to restore the beauty of his own lover. After his wife’s death, the count discovers that her castle and fortune are to be given to her sister instead of him. Hoping to continue his lifestyle and his experiments, the count manipulates the sister and marries her, hoping to eliminate her as he did his first wife, not knowing that the spirits of his wife and her lover are out for revenge.

Watch it or Skip it? Watch it. It’s pretty good. Not as scary as the horror movies of today, but this Italian Gothic is one to be seen.

Order to Kill is the next installment of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series.

The blurb:

In the next thrilling novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mitch Rapp series, the anti-terrorism operative heads to Pakistan to confront a mortal threat he may not be prepared for. In fact, this time he might have met his match.

Mitch Rapp is used to winning.

But in this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling The Survivor, the CIA operative finds himself chasing false leads from continent to continent in an effort to keep Pakistani nukes from falling into the hands of terrorists. Together with friend and colleague Scott Coleman, Rapp struggles to prevent the loss of these lethal weapons, particularly because Russia is also interested in the nukes, though not for the same reason as Rapp and Coleman.

Soon, it becomes alarmingly clear that the forces in Moscow are bent on fomenting even more chaos and turmoil in the Middle East, and Rapp must go deep into Russian territory, posing as an American ISIS recruit. There, he uncovers a plan much more dangerous and insidious than he ever expected, one that could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences.

Written with breathless tension and heart-pounding action, Mitch Rapp’s latest adventure is as timely and provocative as ever.

Kyle Mills has done it again, and continues Vince’s legacy with another astounding Mitch Rapp novel. We (the fans) have truly been blessed with Mills, as he was the author that was selected to continue the series. He nailed Vince’s voice in The Survivor, and with Order to Kill, he has taken the series into his own hands and has made it his own, all the while staying true to Vince’s legacy.

Today I decided to switch from the 50 Legends of Horror to the 50 Horror Classics (both of which make up the 100 Greatest Horror Classics collection) in hopes of getting some better, or at least, more interesting flicks, and some real classics that I adore! I’m not hard to please, really, I like a lot of things where many people don’t, but some of these movies are just falling flat to me.

With that, today’s selections are Carnival of Souls, Atom Age Vampire, and Creature from the Haunted Sea.

A young woman apparently survives a drag race accident that had the car she was in toppling off of a bridge and into the river below. Unfazed by this experience, the woman heads off cross country to her new job as a church organist. Experiencing strange things along her trip and also when she arrives at her new home, the woman begins to suspect that her survival of the accident was not as it appears.

Watch it or Skip it? Watch it! I saw this one many many years ago and I love it. Even though of course we figure out what is happening to the woman long before she does for herself, it doesn’t take away from this one. And since I love the creepiness of organ music, this movie really calls to me.

An exotic dancer has a terrible automobile accident and as a result is horribly scarred on her face. Hoping for a miracle treatment, the dancer visits a scientist who has had marvelous results in restoring patient’s appearances and is cured of her scars. Unfortunately, there are some terrible side-effects from the procedure that the scientist must use some unethical methods to try and make the cure permanent. With suspicions growing in the dancer’s boyfriend and the authorities closing in, the scientist tries some last-minute treatments to help the dancer and also win her heart.

Watch it or Skip it? Skip it. This movie is just, I don’t even know how to describe it. Some movies from this era are just spectacular, while some, like this one, are just not up to par. It is another that has left me with many unanswered questions, confused, and not paying 100% attention to it.

An American gangster agrees to transport a group of Caribbean exiles and their national treasury to safe haven, with the intent of eliminating the exiles and keeping the money. Hoping to use the local legend of a sea monster as cover for killing off the soldiers, the gangster and his crew discover that the legend is true.

Watch it or Skip it? Watch it! This one is so horrible it makes it so good. You got action, you got gangsters, you got a pretty lady, you got singing, and you got one horrible creature costume. What more could you ask for?

A deranged man murders another man in order to assume his identity and take over a recently inherited estate. Soon after arriving at the estate, the psychotic man finds he must continue his murderous tendencies in order to keep hi charade from being exposed. As the number of victims increase along with is deepening madness, it becomes a matter of time before all is revealed and the man’s true identity is exposed.

Watch it or Skip it? Watch it. I enjoyed this one.

The Long Hair of Death
1964
Starring: Barbara Steele, George Ardisson, Halina Zalewsky

The blurb:

A woman is put to death after being accused of witchcraft. Her daughter confronts the man who accused her mother of the crime and discovers the true reason for the accusation, but loses her life in doing so. The youngest daughter is taken in by the man’s family and is raised by them, with the intent to marry her off to the man’s son. When the girl comes of age, her deceased sister returns to exact her revenge upon the family.

Watch it or Skip it? Skip it. This movie couldn’t keep my interest and I found myself being confused with what exactly was happening. I liked the ending though.

The Incredible Petrified World
1957
Starring: John Carradine, Robert Clarke, Phyllis Coates

The blurb:

When a diving bell goes missing along with its crew of four, their expedition gives up hope of finding them alive. However the missing vehicle has become trapped in a labyrinth of underwater caverns. After exiting their craft, the foursome encounters a survivor from a shipwreck who informs them that there is no escape from their underwater tomb. Our intrepid explorers, however, trace the flow of oxygen to a volcanic vent and a possible escape route.

Watch it or Skip it? Skip it. I had high hopes for this one, partly because I love movies involving the deep sea, diving, exploration, caves, and caverns. But this movie fell flat.

A woman and her lover murder her invalid physician husband in order to take his fortune and live their lives together. Watched by the physician’s faithful housekeeper, the two lovers begin searching for the money they believe is hidden upon the grounds of the estate. When mysterious occurrences begin to happen to the couple, they suspect that the physician’s ghost has appeared to seek revenge for their crime.

Watch it or skip it? Watch it!

I really enjoyed this one. And there is a nice little twist at the end.

Based upon a true story, a small English town is the setting of a love triangle involving Squire Corder, the gypsy Carlos and young Maria Marten. While Maria is smitten with Squire Corder, the son of a rich businessman, she has attracted the attention of the roguish gypsy Carlos. When maria disappears after entering the Red Barn, suspicions fall upon both men as to what indeed happened to her.

Watch it or skip it? Watch it!

The Ape Man

1943 Starring Bela Lugosi, Minerva Urecal, Ralph Littlefield

The blurb:

Dr. Brewster is working on a serum derived from gorilla spinal fluid and tests his experimental formula upon himself. Unfortunately, the serum transforms Dr. Brewster into a simian-like creature and he desperately attempts to find a cure. Only human spinal fluid will return him to normal but Dr. Brewster uses some nefarious methods to extract his needed supply.

I absolutely adore this series! I am pretty sure I’ve told you these things multiple times. It’s always a good day when the newest MSW is out.

The blurb:

Jessica enters a fly-fishing competition at a nearby lake. Joining her is the sheriff’s wife, Maureen Metzger, who surprises Jess with her enthusiasm for the sport. Their guide, however, is a surprise to both…

Brian Kinney is an ex-con. Jailed as an accomplice to Darryl Jepson, a convicted killer, Brian was later exonerated, but not before spending seven years behind bars. He seems like a decent enough fellow. Just a man trying to rebuild his life as a family man and fishing guide.

Yet when Jepson breaks out of prison vowing revenge, and the lawyer for both men is found murdered, Cabot Cove becomes the focus of the nation as local, state, and federal authorities descend on Jessica’s hometown. And to add to the tension, Maureen has gone missing. Is she lost or is she a hostage? Jess soon finds herself caught in a netful of lies, deceit and ulterior motives. In order to save her friend, she’ll need to find some answers by hook or by crook…

I’ve already started this one and am a couple chapters in. This afternoon, I started a Brad Thor thriller because I had a bit of free time on my hands at work. Even knowing this bad boy would be waiting for me at home, I needed a little Scot Harvath fix. The MSW book will only take a few days (if that) to read.

Today’s film selection, The Demon comes from 1979. And, I think it should have stayed there. It stars Cameron Mitchell, Jennifer Holmes, Craig Gardner.

Seriously, this could have been a really great horror flick, but, it is quite a bit confusing because it deals with a series of bizarre murders and the unexplained stalking of the main characters by an unidentified man with no apparent motives.

The blurb:

A deranged killer is stalking the citizens of a small-town, brutally killing a family and abducting the daughter. The town is terrified of these events and is unable to find the killer. Only a former cop with psychic abilities appears to be the town’s only hope of tracking down the murderer and finding the missing girl.

With that being said, I found myself with my eyes not glued to the screen.

It’s October 1st! So that means, it’s another year of Blogtober! I missed last year, so I am very excited to get back to it this year.

This year, I’ve decided to make my way through a collection of 100 movies of the Legends of Horror/Greatest Horror Classics.

Tonight’s selection is:

Jamaica Inn

This is a 1939 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Charles Laughton, Robert Newton, Maureen O’Hara

The blurb:

Adapted from a Daphne Du Maurier story, the film takes place at a small inn on the coast of Cornwall. The inn is the base of operations of a band of criminals who deliberately shipwreck vessels for their cargo. The arrival of one of the gang member’s niece and also a Lloyd’s of London investigator disrupt the gang’s plans.

No blood or guts in this one, but it’s still pretty good. Being a film from the 30’s, it is definitely from a different era, so many may be disinterested in it and not call it a horror classic. But I say to give it a chance. Plus it’s a Hitchcock!!

It looks like they did a remake of this film in 2015. I’ll have to check it out.

I’ve been putting off blogging about this, because I somehow thought that if I didn’t post it, it would be true. But unfortunately, it is.

I’m not one to get too emotional when a celebrity passes away, but this one really hurt my heart. I believe that Gene is most famously known for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It is by far my favorite Wilder film. And my favorite part? When he sings Pure Imagination. It is just perfection. My other top Wilder flicks are of course Young Frankenstein, Haunted Honeymoon, and Blazing Saddles.

Alas, the world goes on, as it always does. But Gene Wilder will live on through his movies for many generations to come. And Willy Wonka will always put a smile on my face 🙂